Snap fastener



A. DE VRIES SNAP FASTENER Nov. 30, 193 7.

Filed Sept. 29, 1956 FIG-2 FIG-1 5 PMQW/ mM 7 N A :LD- WM [MW A R MmPatented Nov. e0, 1931 UNITED STATES.

PATENT. OFFICE Applicatioirseptember 29, 1936, Serial No. 103,143 InGreat Britain September 12, 1935 4 Claims. (01. 124-217) My inventionrelatesto improvement in the fixing of sheet material (herein termedwallboard) and more especially wooden panels to walls or ceilings andthe like, in order either to give the wall or ceiling a pleasingappearance or to cover cavities which may contain gas, water orelectrical fittings, or in order to obtain a special insulation againstthe conduction of heat, noise and the like.

The fastening of wall-boards to a wall has hitherto been a difficultproblem. As a rule wood-screws are employed for fastening and the boardsare screwed on wooden slats which are first screwed on the wall orceiling, but the screw-heads which project through the boards,

even if they are countersunk, destroy the fiat finish of the wall-boardand the wall-boards cannot be removed without damage to the finishedsurface.

It is an object of my invention to avoid these drawbacks. To this end Ifix a'wall-board to a wall or the like by means of one or more fasteningmembers each comprising two complementary inter-engaging portionsinserted preferably within recesses in the wall and the wall-board, andone of which is provided with a sleeve formed, by means of lengthwiseslots, with tongues the free ends of which are bent outwardlysubstantially at right angles to the sleeve axis. Each fastening memberis formed as a press-stud of which one part can be fixed in a verysimple and reliable manner either in the wall or in the wallboard bymeans of a mandrel, while the other surface of the plate, in which theyare fixed, remains unspoilt and free from screw-holes and the like andcan therefore easily be finished with a smooth surface or can be usedwithout further finishing.

Preferably each fastening member is formed as a press-stud, one of theparts being fixed to the wall, the other to the wall-board, so that thislatter can be accurately and quickly fitted to the wall by simplepressure and can be easily removed and replaced without being damaged.

In order to more easily arrange the parts of the press-studs inalignment with a female part exactly opposite each male part I form theparts with one or more sharp projections.

In the drawing afiixed in this specification and forming part thereofsome embodiments of my invention are illustrated diagrammatically by wayof example.

'In the drawing Figure 1 is a front view of a wall with female parts ofthe new device mounted thereon.

Figure 2 is a wall-board or panel with corresponding male parts mountedon the surface intended to be applied to the wall.

Figure 3 is a cross section on the line III-III in Fig. l, drawn to anenlarged scale.

Figure 4 is a cross section on the line IV--IV in Fig. 2, themale'portion of the press-stud being here provided with sharp points.

Figure 5 isa similar view, showing the female portion of the press-studin position on the male portion, this latter being held in place by amandrel carrying a sharp point in its centre.

Figure 6 is another cross-section, showing the wall-board in position onthe wall, the sharp point in the centre of the mandrel shown in Figure 5being broken off.

Figure '7 is a side elevation of the male portion of the press-studshown in Figure 4.

Referring to the drawing, l is a section of a wall to which thewall-board or panel 2 shown in Figure 2 shall be fixed. The wall may beformed with a continuous fiat surface of wood or rails or slats may bearranged on the wall or ceiling to which the panel shall be fixed. Onthe rear side of the panel some male portions 3 of press-studs arefixed, each part 3 including a sleeve 4, adapted to be inserted in arecess in the panel 2. The sleeve 4 is slotted lengthwise to form acircle of tongues 5, the free ends of which are bent outwardly andpreferably substantially at right angles to the sleeve axis to formteeth 6. By driving a mandrel i into the sleeve the'teeth are forcedinto the wall of the recess formed. in the panel 2, so that the maleportion is firmly fixed to the panel without showing on or spoiling thefront surface thereof.

The wall I is also formed with recesses 8 in which the female portions 9of the press-studs are fixed by screws In. In the rim of each portion 9a resilient clampingrlng i I may be arranged, which may be slit in orderto improve its resiliency and may move in the rim ,of the part 9 withsome play.

In order to ensure that the members 9 are located in their proper placesin the wall so that each female portion can be mounted in exactalignment with the male member apportioned to it, the proper places ofthe female portions are first marked on the wall. This may be effectedeither according to Figure 4, by the male members being provided with aseries of sharp points l3 distributed on the edge of the sleeve 3. Afterhaving arranged the required number of male portions on the panel, thelatter is pressed into the desired position on the wall, when the pointsportions in the wall surface.

In the modifications shown in Figure the mandrel or wedge serving toforce the teeth on the tongues of a male member 3 into the panel,carries a sharp point H, which, similarly as described with reference toFigure 4, marks in the wall the proper places for the screws by means ofwhich the female portions are subsequently fixed in the recesses 8. Thepoints l4 may then be broken ofi by striking them with a hammer.

Alternatively or additionally the hole l2 formed in the bottom of thefemale part for the passage of the screw I0 may be formed with a sharpprojecting edge IE, or the female portion may be provided with sharppoints in the same way as the male portion.

Figure 6 shows the wall with a panel tion thereon.

Owing to the fact that the rings H have some freedom of movement in thefemale members, small differences in the relative positions of the twoparts of each press-stud may easily be provided for.

Evidently the invention is not limited to round press-studs. I may alsoarrange resilient rails on the panels, which fit resiliently intocorresponding holders arranged on or in the wall. In order to fasten therails to the panel, use may into posi- .13 will mark the proper placesfor the female be made of a number of sleeves formed with tongues asabove described.

I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to theexact details of construction shown and described for obviousmodifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. In an expanding fastener in combination, a first fastening membercomprising a sleeve of flexible material, a plurality of axiallyextending converging tongues formed at one end of said sleeve and teethat the free ends of and extending radially outwards substantially atright angles to said tongues, a second fastening member formed totightly fit the other end of said sleeve, means on the adjoining partsof said two members for holding same in mutual engagement, and anexpander of a diameter equalling the inner diameter of said sleeve nearthe inner ends of said tongues.

2. The fastener of claim 1, in which the other end of the sleeve isfunnel-shaped.

3. The fastener of claim 1, in which a radial flange surrounds saidsleeve intermediate its ends.

4. The fastener of claim 1, in which one of the fastening members isprovided with a sharp projection to mark the place for the other member.

' ABRAHAM n1: VRIES.

